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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28794789">Stargazing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunkerbash/pseuds/Bunkerbash'>Bunkerbash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Trolls (Movies 2016 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Broppy - Freeform, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:49:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,219</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28794789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunkerbash/pseuds/Bunkerbash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Branch's birthday.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Broppy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stargazing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Branched groaned and rolled over. He’d hoped to sleep in, in fact staying in bed this entire dratted day would have been just fine with him. He felt a familiar feeling clawing inside his chest, one he’d hoped to forget in the last half year; Dread. Worry. Fear. He tried to push the thoughts aside, but felt the anxiety swirling around him, threatening at any moment to pull him under, into a full on panic attack.<br/>
“Hello darkness my old friend” he grumbled into his pillow. </p><p><br/>
Sleep, that coy bastard, continued to evade him however, and he finally rolled out of bed, trying to still his nerves with deep steadying breaths. The air in his bunker bedroom was cool, familiar and pleasant, scented with the low tones of earth, his wood stove, and some of the herbs he had harvested last week that were now drying in the store-room below. There was a gentle overtone to the atmosphere now though, something floral and springy, Poppy’s perfume. Branch wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, or she’d just been spending that much time in his Bunker lately that the air itself was holding the memory of her. </p><p><br/>
The thought of Poppy made his anxiety ratchet up several more steep steps. He gripped the edge of the bed with sweating palms and gritted his teeth. Stealing himself for what was likely to be an unpleasant day. His 27th birthday.<br/>
Branch wandered around his bunker, trying to forestall going outside for as long as possible. He stacked more firewood, sorted through some clean laundry, chuckling when he found one of Poppy’s dresses mixed in with his vests, tried and failed to darn some of his shorts, his hands were shaking too badly. </p><p><br/>
He knew he was being silly. There was once so much more to worry about. The ever present threat of being eaten, or seeing all the trolls he had pretended not to care about be eaten, the possibilty of his entire species being wiped out in one stew pot, all those things had passed. Life was, for the most part, sunny, relatively easy, and certainly a lot more pleasant now that he and Poppy were together. </p><p><br/>
But Branch HATED surprises. He didn’t like surprise guests, or sudden rain storms, jump-scares in movies, and definitely, absolutely, entirely disliked surprise parties and unfortunately, Branch was rather certain there would be one of those in his honor today. The snack pack had been throwing loosely veiled hints at him for weeks now. His breath quickened and he tossed the tattered and unmended shorts back on his desk, muttering a string of colorful curses under his breath. There was nothing for it, he might as well go out there, and get it over with. </p><p><br/>
It was a steamy day, the whole summer had been, and the second Branch climbed out of his bunker he was enveloped in the thick oppressive heat. He couldn’t wait for the crisper weather that Autumn brought, just a few more weeks he thought. He made his way carefully down the path to the village, every nerve jangling on desperate high alert. Behind any rock or flower the Snack pack might be lurking, with cake, and balloons, …and glitter. Branch shuddered and picked up his pace, his eyes scanning incessantly, his hands balled in tight fists. He made it down the village and only screamed and jumped out of his skin four times. Twice at the same rock that was suspiciously shaped like Cooper, once at a butterfly he mistook for an errant balloon, and once at his own shadow. </p><p><br/>
Branch had promised Guy Diamond that he’d help him repair the roof to his pod. It had sprung a leak after Cooper had accidentally lit off an entire basket of fireworks inside Guy’s living room the previous week. The work suited Branch fine, not least because from that high vantage point he could scan the horizon for any potential would-be surprise party attacks. When Branch arrived at Guy’s neon green pod, the glitter troll was just starting to haul the tools up some make-shift scaffolding. </p><p><br/>
“Oh hey Branch!” Guy grinned. “Happy birthday Pal!” Guy pulled Branch into a one armed hug, as he awkwardly held the tool box under his other arm.<br/>
“Thanks.” Branch said, tensing and looking around. But the coast seemed clear. No shouts, no glitter bombs.<br/>
“Are you sure you don’t mind helping me do this on your big day?” Guy asked.</p><p><br/>
“Ah nope, not at all” Branch shrugged. Guy nodded, smiled, and they set to work. </p><p><br/>
Fixing the roof took longer than expected, it turned out Cooper had set off fireworks inside Guy’s house not once, but three times in the last month, so there were half a million holes that needed patching. Guy and Branch worked steadily from one side of the roof to the other, sometimes in pleasant silence, sometimes singing. Mid-morning Cooper and the twins stopped by and peered up at Guy and Branch perched way above. <br/>
“Hey Coop” Branch called down, “No more fireworks inside other people’s pods, buddy, it’s not exactly safe!”</p><p><br/>
“But they’re the most exciting indoors! Louder and flashier! and Burn-ier!” Cooper called back up. Branch rolled his eyes. They all wished Branch a happy birthday, and then headed off to the beach for a quick dip to break the sweltering heat. Branch’s nerves did nothing but escalate. He wished they would just get the pouncing on him and singing at him over with already. </p><p><br/>
Guy and Branch were both sweating by midday when they took a break for a quick lunch. Guy fished some bologna out of the fridge and they munched on sandwiches, talking about the weather, about Guy’s plans to someday add an addition to his pod just off the kitchen. A steady stream of trolls, snack pack and otherwise swung by Guy’s house throughout the day. Everyone was in good spirits, many hugs were given, and by late afternoon Branch had seen just about the entire town. No parties had jumped out at him, but that didn’t mean anything. Trolls loved nighttime parties the very most, all the better for fireworks and lazer shows. Poppy hadn’t shown up though, and that was worrying Branch just a bit. Who knew what insane rave she must be planning that it had kept her away all day. Branch bit his lip and fretted.</p><p><br/>
The sun was just leaning into the trees when they finally finished patching all the holes they could find. “So we won’t know if we got them all for sure until the next big rainstorm, buuuuuut I think we did pretty well” Branch told to Guy as they both climbed back down the scaffolding. <br/>
“Anything’s better than it was!” Guy said cheerily “Last time it rained it absolutely ruined my mohair rug, damn thing cost a fortune too”. He shook his head ruefully mourning the lost rug. “Well! Thanks again Branch! Oh OH! And I forgot to tell you, Poppy said she’d meet you out by the vegetable patch at sun down, uh, which is now, so you might want to hustle…” Guy grinned apologetically. </p><p><br/>
“Oh gods” Branch breathed. Well. here it came. Guy gave him a hearty slap on the back and shouted “Have fun!” as Branch retreated down the ladder to the ground. At the very least he wished he could have had a shower before this looming party…though maybe he could use that as an excuse to duck out early, he mulled, as he trekked to the outskirts of town and up the familiar rocky path to the vegetable patch he’d dug earlier that spring. </p><p><br/>
Ch.2<br/>
He could see Poppy from a long ways off, and he climbed steadily towards her, out of the evening dark of the valley below, to the crest of the hill, still gently kissed by the late summer daylight. She was dancing anxiously from foot to foot, and he could sense that she was a bit nervous. Branch was puzzled. Poppy was the Queen of the Trolls, but she was also THE QUEEN OF PARTIES. He couldn’t ever think of her being anything but excited before a party, but her apprehension became even clearer as he finally reached the top of the hill and got a proper look at her. </p><p><br/>
She was biting her lip, something she’d once pointed out, with great amusement, that they both did when worried. There was a line of sweat glistening at her magenta hair line, and she was picking at her fingernails, another classic Poppy stress-tell. Branch was baffled. <br/>
“Hey Poppy, Guy said I should meet you here, are…are you ok?” Some part of his brain demanded that he still be on high alert for impending and sudden birthday parties, but at least 92% was now saturated with concern for Poppy. He reached out towards her to tug her into a hug but she dodged his big hands, skipping just out of his reach and giving him an almost painfully pleading look.</p><p><br/>
“Ok so… I’ve taken a bit of a risk here. I DID NOT get you a birthday present.” She flinched and looked towards the ground. <br/>
Branch surprised both of them with his relieved bark of laughter. “Poppy, that’s. Really that’s no big deal. I wasn’t expecting…”<br/>
But Poppy cut him off talking fast. “Well at least not… a normal present? I don’t know if this counts, come with me for your kind of sort of present or, birthday surprise. or whatever.” She was still worrying her lip, which Branch found distractingly endearing, but the word “Surprise” sent electric jolts down his spine.</p><p><br/>
“Poppy, if there’s a party, can’t you just tell me? I really really REALLY hate surprises, and you know I’m kinda only lukewarm on parties too. It’s uh, not my favorite combo.” He held her arm and looked down into her pink eyes, trying to read them, decode what the hell she had planned. <br/>
Poppy let out a sigh, possibly one of relief, and then quirked an odd smile at him. “Branch, I promise you, on my hair, that the surprise IS NOT a party. But it is a surprise, and I think (I hope) you’re going to like it.” And with that she  was shoving an old quilt into his arms, and leading him away through the field by the hand. </p><p><br/>
They climbed well out of town, towards the distant hills that slowly relaxed into flat valleys down to the south. It was a long walk and a few times Poppy seemed to bend low to check something on the ground. Branch noticed there were little arrows made out of branches pointing the way. <br/>
“Whaaat?” Branch asked after the third one. </p><p><br/>
“Ack, no!” Poppy tinkled ahead of him. “Not ruining the surprise” her voice almost singing. <br/>
Branch followed her, trying to pay close attention to landmarks, and regretting he hadn’t brought his compass. Poppy was brilliant at many things, but way-finding was not one of them. </p><p><br/>
After almost an hour’s hike they suddenly burst through the tree cover to an astonishing sight. The valley undulated away beyond, almost infinite, and above was the most spectacular starry sky Branch had ever seen. He couldn’t help but stop and gape. Where the sky met the curving land an untold number of fireflies lazily floated from plant to plant, making it hard to tell where the sky ended and the earth began, it was like standing in the center of the universe.<br/>
He realized Poppy had stopped too</p><p>, but rather than watching the absolutely breathtaking vista that swirled out and around them, she was looking at him, Her face cautiously proud. <br/>
“Tadaaaaa!” She said, spinning away from him and swinging her arms out to present the vista. “Happy Birthday!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.<br/>
Branch instinctively flinched his ears tucked low, looking around for all the other party-goers to jump out and scream at him. But Poppy padded towards him and put both hands on his shoulders, beaming into his face. “Branch. There’s nobody else around for miles. It’s just us. I thought… I thought you might prefer that? I hope… this is ok?” There was worry leaking in again at the corner of her eyes as she gazed up at him.</p><p><br/>
Branch felt too many things at once. Relief first, then worry to see Poppy concerned. Whenever he saw that little crease between her eyebrows he wished so very much to smooth it with his thumb, to tell her that she should never ever worry. And more than anything, he felt gratitude. He hadn’t gotten a birthday gift since he was so young. Since his grandmother had been taken. And this, This was the perfect gift. Of course Poppy would have known just what he’d really want. He was so lucky to have her. He pulled her in with his arms, crushing her to his chest, and breathing in deeply the smell of springtime and lightness, his happiness, his everything. <br/>
“So, Now what?” he asked into her hair. </p><p><br/>
“Oh! Well so I couldn’t decide what to get you, and then last week Cloud Guy told me there was supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. So I spent all day hiking Eeeeeverywhere trying to find the perfect spot to watch it!”<br/>
Branch grimaced a bit at the mention of Cloud Guy, but Poppy missed it as she was already taking the old quilt from him and walking the last few meters up to the top of the hill. She shook the quilt out, sat down, and looked up at him expectantly. </p><p><br/>
Ch. 3<br/>
A gargantuan shooting star danced across the sky. Out the corner of his eye Branch saw the light of it catch the sparkles of Poppy’s freckles momentarily making her cheeks a galaxy of tiny stars. </p><p><br/>
“Oooooooo” Poppy breathed. “I think that’s the best one I’ve ever seen!” She turned to him eyes wide. “Branch!!! You HAVE to make a wish! A massive shooting star AND it’s your birthday?!!? That’s like, double luck!!”<br/>
Branch snorted at Poppy’s unquenchable appetite for all things whimsical. He squeezed his arm and pulled her into him, her head nestling back on his broad shoulder. He stayed silent, taking in the sky, so distant, and Poppy, so very close. She nudged him painfully in the ribs.<br/>
“Make. A. WISH.” She hissed in no uncertain terms.</p><p><br/>
Branch smiled to himself. “Ummmmm…” He thought hard. “Well…uh, there’s some beetles that have been getting into the garden and eating the turnips lately. I wish they would go away.” He squinted up at the sky, pleased with himself. It was a reasonable wish, considering wishes were silly.<br/>
There was a long pause and then Poppy shifted against him. Branch looked down. She was staring at him, jaw open, a look of horror writ plain across her face. </p><p><br/>
“That is, THE WORST wish I have ever heard. What is wrong with you?!”</p><p><br/>
Branch put his hands up defensively. “Hey, Hey! I don’t have a lot of practice with wish making!” </p><p><br/>
Poppy ‘hmph’d” as she cuddled back up to him. “Well then that was your practice round. Try. again.”</p><p><br/>
Branch smirked at her, though he wasn’t sure she could see it in the dark the blanketed them, “Isn’t… Isn’t that against wish making rules? Actually, should I even be telling you what I’m wishing for? I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules too…?</p><p><br/>
Poppy rolled her eyes, “I’m the queen Branch, I make the rules.” She said with authority. </p><p><br/>
“Even about wishes?” Branch asked, trying to keep the humor from his voice,<br/>
“Yes.” Poppy replied primly. <br/>
“Even when you’re making them up as you go?”<br/>
“Well someone has to make up the rules, Branch. Hard job…being queen.” She muttered off, half exasperated, half laughing. <br/>
Branch blew out his breath and looked back out at the fathomless depths of the summer sky. What did he wish for? He’d never in the entire reaches of his memory been so happy, so complete. Not in his wildest imagination would he have considered even just a year ago that his life would have changed, improved so drastically. </p><p><br/>
 The village was safe, there was peace with the Bergens, and most importantly, there was Poppy, his loud, perpetually, sometimes painfully surprising other half. And Branch realized in that moment that he liked surprises, but only when they were of the Poppy variety. If Branch could wish for anything, it would be for nothing to change. </p><p><br/>
Poppy was looking down, watching a lightening bug flit from flower petal to flower petal, biting her lip, and the line of worry back between her brows. Branch shifted to face her fully and took her small pink hand in between his broad calloused blue palms. She looked up at him, her eyes warm, her mouth every so slightly open.</p><p><br/>
“Poppy, he said, trying to keep the nervous tremor out of his voice, “Will you marry me?”</p><p><br/>
Her eyes went wide, her brows shot almost to her hairline, but only for the briefest second before she was launching herself into his arms.<br/>
Caught off balance, and entirely by Poppy variety surprise ™, Branch tumbled backwards on the old patchwork quilt, landing on his elbows with an “ooph!” Before he could exclaim further though, Poppy was kissing him fervently and with purpose. Branch wasn’t one to argue, at least in these instances, and returned the affection with interest. </p><p><br/>
Finally Poppy pulled away an inch or so, they were both panting and Poppy’s cheeks were glowing against the night sky that cartwheeled above them. <br/>
“Sooooo….?” Branch prompted, arching an eyebrow her way speculatively, “is that a yes…?”</p><p><br/>
Poppy screwed up her face. “Ooooh I don’t know, what if Creek comes back? I want to entertain all the options on the table…”<br/>
Poppy squeaked as Branch gripped her shoulders rolling them both over, and kissed and nibbled at her neck once she was under him. <br/>
“You wicked little thing” Branch laughed, his breath against her delicately shaped pink ear. “It’s MY birthday!”</p><p><br/>
“Oh ok, then” Poppy gasped, giggling, as he continued his ministrations. “I guess in that case I can hardly say no!”<br/>
“Damn right you can’t” Branch grinned and then kissed her again. </p><p><br/>
Sometime later they both lay on their backs, staring up at the sky once more. Poppy reached over, unlooking, and took Branch’s hand. “Happy Birthday” she whispered, and Branch could hear the smile in her voice,<br/>
Branch hoisted himself up on one elbow and looked over at Poppy, She was flushed, her hair was tousled and she was grinning widely. She was lovelier than any night sky. “I love you Poppy, so very very much” he said. </p><p><br/>
Poppy, impossibly, smiled even wider. “Right back atcha, birthday boy.”<br/>
“Oh and Branch, the snack pack is still planning a surprise party for you, they thought it would be even MORE surprising if it was the day AFTER your birthday. It’s tomorrow, at 2pm, in your kitchen”. She said, grinning, still looking up at the sky.; “Tell no one I told you, and do try to at least act surprised.” But Branch was already looming over her resting body, his eyes burning with gratitude, and the desire to return the kindness. “Oh god Poppy, thank you for warning me” And he kissed her. </p>
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